Envelope opener



March 4, 1941. A TEiGEN 2,233,497

ENVELOPE OPENER Filed Aug. 24-, 1939 Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATESPATENT QFFICE ENVELOPE OPENER Austin F. Teigen, Georgetown, Minn.

Application August 24, 1939, Serial No. 291,745

4 Claims.

The invention aims to provide an exceptionally simple and inexpensive,yet an efiicient and durable hand-operated device for quickly and easilyopening envelopes by cutting one edge portion off, simply by engagingthe tool with the envelope, holding the latter with the fingers of onehand' andwith the other hand sliding the tool longitudinally of theenvelope, while both envelope and tool rest upon a horizontal surfacesuch asadesk top.

With" the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subjectmatter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplishedby reference to the accompanying draw- 5 ing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device in use.

Figure 2 is a perspective View looking against the opposite side of thedevice from that shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation looking against the side of the deviceshown in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 isa longitudinal sectional view as indicated by the lines 4-4of Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views on lines 5-5 and 6-6 ofFig. 4. I

Figure 7 is a disassembled perspective view.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showa 0 ing a modified andsimplified form of construction.

Preferred details have been illustrated and will be rather specificallydescribed, with the understanding, however, that within the scope of theinvention as claimed, minor variations may be made. It is, of course,comprehended that the device may be constructed from any desiredmaterial or materials. Moreover, while the article is shown constructedfor use with an ordinary razor blade, it will be understood that otherspecially, formed blades could be used if desired.

An elongated base In is provided to rest slidably upon a desk top orother support, said base having a longitudinal laterally opening channelII to receive one edge portion I2 of an envelope I3, the top wall M ofsaid channel being preferably narrower than the bottom Wall l5. In theform of construction shown in Figs. 1 to '7, the top wall I4 is providedat one end with a longitudinal slot It for a purpose to appear, whereasin the modification shown in Fig. 8, such a slot is not necessary.

One vertical blade-clamping plate i1 rises rigidly from the top wall I4,and another vertical blade-clamping plate I 8 is disposed in parallel bya ridge portion I 9 which unitarily connects said plates and forms aconvenient handle tion for gripping and operating the tool.

A suitable blade 20 is disposed between the blade-clamping plates I1 andI8, and its cutting edge declines across the channel ll into contactwith the lower wall of saidchannel. A pad or the like 2| preferably liesagainst one side of said blade and against the fixed plate I! to provide additional friction for tightly holding the blade in place whensaid plates I! andlii are drawn together. The thickness of this pad 2|of course regulates the distance which the cut will'be made from theedge of the envelope or the like. Bolts 22 and 22' are shown to draw thewalls I! and I8 toward each other. The bolt 1 22 passes through theparts I'i', i8, 20 and-2 being received in one-of the usual openings ofthe blade 20, but the bolt 22' need not pass through the blade, as willbe clear from Fig. 4. Thus, by simply removing the bolt 22, the blademay be easily removed or said blade may be adjusted by simply looseningsaid bolt. A new blade may be inserted with ease or the old blade simplyturned to present a new edge to use. In the construction shown in Figs.1 to '7, the sharpened lower edge of the blade 29 extends obliquelyacross the channel H and through the slot It, but in Fig. 8 in whichtheblade is at the opposite side of the plate l1, requiring no slot,said blade merely extends obliquely across the channel. In both forms ofconstruction, the longitudinally channeled base l0, the blade-clampingplates I! and I8, and the ridge portion 19 may be considered as beingformed from a single piece of sheet metal. However, as above stated,material other than metal may be' used.

In operating the device, it is engaged with the edge portion l2 of anenvelope I3 as seen in Fig. 1. Then, while holding the envelope upon adesk top or the like with the fingers of one hand, the device is slidlongitudinally uponthesupporting surface, causing the sharpened loweredge of the blade 20 to slit through one or both sides of the envelope,according to the depth to which said blade be adjusted. The device maybe quickly, easily and conveniently operated and provides for cleanlycutting the envelope without cutting the contents thereof, due to thefact that the envelope is slit in extremely close proximity PCT- to itsedge. If desired, the opening device could of course be held and theenvelope or the like slid with respect thereto in performing the openingoperation.

I claim:

1. An envelope opener comprising a horizontally elongated base to restslidably on a supporting surface, said base having a fiat longitudinalrelatively wide bottom plate, a flat longitudinal relatively narrow topplate and a longitudinal bight portion integrally joining one of thelongitudinal edges of said top plate to one of the longitudinal edges ofsaid bottom plate and spacing said top and bottom plates apartvertically to provide a laterally open channel tore.-

ceive an edge portion of the envelope, the other longitudinal edge ofsaid bottom plate being free; a horizontally elongated fixed verticalblade-. clamping plate integrally joined at its lower edge to the otherof said longitudinal edges of said top plate, a second horizontallyelongated vertical blade-clamping plate parallel with said fixedvertical plate, a transversely arched ridge extending along the upperedges of the two vertical plates and integrally connecting them, thelower edge of said second vertical plate being free, a blade disposed ina vertical longitudinal plane between said vertical plates and having asharpened lower edge which declines across the aforesaid channel to saidbottom plate, and bolts passing through said vertical plates for drawingsaid second vertical plate inwardly toward said fixed vertical plate toclamp said blade in place, said blade having an opening through which atleastone of said boltspasses.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; together witha vertical frictionpad and spacer clamped between said blade and said fixed vertical plate,the thickness of said friction pad and spacer 40 determining thedistance which said sharpened edge of said blade is spaced from theaforesaid bight portion of said base.

3. An envelope opener comprising a horizontally elongated base to restslidably on a supporting surface, said base having a flat longitudinalrelatively wide bottom plate, a flat longitudinal relatively narrow topplate and a loning free; a horizontally elongated fixed verticalblade-clamping plate integrally joined at its lower. edge to the otherof said longitudinal edges of said top plate, said top plate beingprovided at one end with a longitudinal slot at its junc-' turev withsaid fixed vertical blade-clamping plate, a second horizontallyelongated vertical blade-clamping plate parallel with said fixedvertical plate and disposed over said top plate, a transversely archedridge extending along the upper edges of-the two vertical plates andintegrally connecting them, the lower edge of said second vertical platebeing free, a blade disposed in a vertical longitudinal plane w betweensaid vertical plates and having a sharpened lower edge which declinesthrough said slot and across said channel to said bottom plate, and.bolts passing through said vertical plates for drawing said secondvertical plate inwardly toward said fixed vertical plate to clamp saidblade in place, said blade having an opening through which at least oneof said bolts passes.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3; together with a verticalfriction pad and spacer clamped between said blade and said fixedvertical plate, the thickness of said friction pad and spacerdetermining the distance which said sharpened edge of said blade isspaced from the aforesaid 4o bight portion of said base. 1

, AUSTIN F. TEIGEN.

